Why is Labor Day celebrated?

On 1st May most of the countries around the world have holiday on the eve of Labor Day. We gleefully accept the day off but very few of us know the history behind it. Lets find out why do we actually celebrate it.

When & Why it was started:

The existence of Labor day goes all the way back to 19th Century. On 1st May 1886, United States Labor union went to strike demanding that the daily work shift should be fixed to eight hours of work each day. Eight hours of work , eight hours of recreation and eight hours of rest. Following the strike, on May 4th bomb was thrown by anarchist in Chicago which led to killing of dozens of labors and injuring hundreds of them.

The demands of labors were turned down initially but as the protest continued, eventually eight hours work rule came into effect. As the strike was started on May 1st, lot of countries began to celebrate it as Labor day to show their respect and tribute to labors who struggled and lost their lives during this movement.

Some facts of Labor Day:

It is celebrated in more than 80 countries.

In India , Labor Day was started on May 1 , 1923.

Russian Federation, China , Thailand, Vietnam, India and other Asian countries celebrate it on May 1.